Whitehall Specialties’ SQF Level 3 certification is one example of the company’s dedication to safe, quality food. That dedication was recently highlighted with the completion of a shelf life study that successfully extended the shelf life of six different loaf products.
“We received requests from our international customers to extend the shelf life of some select loaf products,” said Federico Noltenius, Director of International Sales. “The additional time it takes to ship products internationally significantly impacts the amount of remaining shelf life available for our international retail and food service customers. We are always looking for ways to support our customers, and our team rose to the challenge.”
A cross section of employees from both the Quality Assurance and R&D departments worked together diligently.
“We looked at roughly 200 samples, up to six months past the current expiration date,” Danielle Graham, Quality Manager explained. “We evaluated a variety of characteristics including the conformity of the product, physical appearance – looking for mold, moisture release, oily and brittle texture, seals, phosphate blooms and color fade.”
The result? An extended shelf life from 180 days to 300-365 days, depending on the product.
The team decided to conduct their first study using some of its top-selling queso-style loaf products:
- 236-White American Blended Loaf
- 237-American Blended Loaf
- 242-American Cheese Product
- 243-White American Cheese Product
- 292-Mega Melt-American Cheese Product
- 293-Mega Melt-White American Cheese Product
“These products in particular are very versatile,” said Noltenius. “They can be used for slicing, shredding, melting, and making into dips and sauces. They’re very popular in Mexican-style restaurants, food service, or even to sell by the pound in the deli.”
Now, with the successful outcome of this initial study, the company is looking at evaluating the shelf life of additional products including its SOS line, and eventually plans to evaluate all of the products in its line.